Friday Night Double Header

Friday night, I ventured out to two very different watering holes in Midtown for an evening with friends.

First, I joined work galpals Caroline and Morgan, and three other Quinn & Co. colleagues at the historic and elegant Algonquin Hotel's Algonquin Hotel's Blue Bar. The occasion – catching up with our former co-worker Vanessa and her hubby Jeff, in town for the weekend from New Orleans.

Happy Hour At The Algonquin: Enjoying cocktails with (from left to right) David, Jeff, Vanessa, Nicole, Caroline and Morgan

Vanessa filled us in on her gig promoting local tourism and how NoLa is managing to weather the recession because of its post-Katrina bounceback.

Later, Morgan, Caroline and I continued the economic talk over cosmos, reflecting on how the downturn is affecting the travel industry.

From the Algonquin, Caroline and I walked over to Annie Moore’s, a nearby pub, where met up with our friends Natasha and Theresa and some of Natasha’s cute City Hall co-workers.

Theresa shared tales of domestic bliss with her boyfriend of one year, Chris. Chris, meanwhile, chimed in about not being a fan of playing matchmaker. Thankfully, Theresa sided with me when it comes to paying it forward once you’ve found your life’s mate.

Girls Night Out: Drinks at Annie Moore’s with (from left to right) Theresa, Caroline and Natasha

While enjoying a delicious Shepherd’s pie and a screwdriver, I chatted briefly with another Chris in the group, this one a member of the Deputy Mayor’s staff. He and the other guys were doggedly focused on work-related brainstorming, so I happily returned to the girls and talked about plans for Theresa’s housewarming party. A hot tub will be involved, so I’m definitely there.

Coming up…an insider's look at the Australian Outback and St. Paddy’s Day C-Squared style.